No matter how important we say they are, first impressions can be unfair. Depending on the situation, it is very possible you don’t have nearly enough information to assimilate an impression that is just.
Upon many of my first impressions of Colombia, I have been delighted- sometimes simply due to the fact that everything is new and intriguing. Later on, I have become less impressed with a few aspects of Bogotá living as well as the Colombian (and much of South American) style of communicating. More on that another time.
Regarding my experience and exposure to nature and outdoor experiences, I think I come from a skewed perspective and an abundance of experience and that makes it difficult to be truly impressed. Before moving to Colombia, I had been living in Boulder, Colorado for almost 13 years. I had easy access to mountain trails, outdoor trips with friends and groups, connections with professional athletes, and long-distance trail running and hiking experiences galore. Colorado and the Rocky Mountains offers a wide variety of incredible beauty spanning four significantly different seasons throughout the year.
I could keep bragging on Colorado, but my current residence & focus is Colombia. Bogotá is the country’s capital and the third-largest city in South America. Even though it’s situated right within the Andes mountains, access to trails like I’ve been used to is absolutely not the same. And I’ve been a little disappointed by that.
During my time here so far, I have gone on a couple day-trips, hikes, a weekend camping trip, and most recently a backpacking trip within a national park. Each experience is a welcomed break from the busy-ness of Bogotá and I love seeing any new part of Colombia. But somehow I’ve still felt like I’m being limited in my “exploring”.
Usually people are very proud of the beauty of their own country. Thus far I see that to be the case in Colombia, and this country is known for its biodiversity in which is another reason to take pride. I think because I’m new here and I have to take buses as transportation or group trips instead of venturing out on my own, that my feelings of limitation have been an aspect of frustration to some of my experiences. I keep feeling like the beauty here is no more impressive than what I have at home, it’s just different. But then again, different is one reason I ventured out from my home. Hmmm..
I’ve been pondering this because I think it’s important to reflect on things that delight and disappoint us when we travel. I think the following are all factors for why I am appreciating my nature experience here so far, but not being smitten by it..
–Size of the country– the US is 9 times bigger than Colombia, so of course there is an incredible amount of land & diversity, however, Colombia is actually the 2nd most bio-diverse country in the whole world (behind the enormous Brazil)!
-different histories & structures of National Natural Parks of Colombia and US National Parks
-Funding and resources for maintenance, guest services, and construction
-Visitors: Colombia’s eco-tourism only really began about 10-12 years ago. Unfortunately due to the country’s history and what is passed along in the world news, tourists haven’t historically been coming here in droves. It has just begun to really grow within the last 5-6 years.
-One of the factors I’ve been learning more about that is very strong in Colombia and very different than the US in practice is that there’s far more support for the Indigenous presence, as well as an admirable respect for and tie to the land/human balance.
-Lastly, my impression is that people’s interest and impressionability, expectations & standards are different here in Colombia than they are in the States. But as tourism from other countries grows, the expectations and levels of service will likely be forced to advance.
I’m excited to explore this country more, remain open-minded and learn about its history, nature, and cultures because it intrigues me, because I love being outdoors and there’s a lot of it to visit here.
I also know I’m only beginning to comprehend the relationship of the factors I listed previously, and those are just my observations thus far. I have much to learn from more and more experiences that I will have while I live here, and my role and goal are not to judge but to appreciate and grow. The fact is, I wanted a change from my “norm”.. so now if I can’t easily zoom up to a trail in my own car and run it with my eyes closed because I’ve done it 50 times before, that’s actually a good thing. I crave change and challenge and new information… and now I can tell others to come and see for themselves.
